Trump may weigh pardon for Diddy while granting clemency to pollution violators

President Trump announced Friday that he has pardoned several people convicted in federal vehicle emissions cases and is reportedly considering pardons for celebrities, including for rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs. The president has not made a decision on Combs or other high-profile clemency requests, but he has discussed them privately in recent days, sources familiar with…

Meet the patriotic ‘living historians’ who bring the American Revolution to life — one reenactment at a time

They're partying like it's 1776.

Brendan Boyle brings Congress back to ‘where it all began’ in Philadelphia to mark 250 years of American independence

Members of Congress gathered Thursday at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The bipartisan group of lawmakers gathered at Independence Hall specifically on this day because it marked the anniversary of the Second Continental Congress’s vote in support of American independence in 1776 in […]

Morning Minute: Bring on Belgium!

Mediators say Iran-US talks show 'positive progress' as ceasefire holds

Officials said discussions have centered on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s frozen assets.

Russia Signals Ukraine May Have Used Its First Ballistic Missile

Russia indicated that Ukraine may have used a ballistic missile in combat for the first time.

DC insider points out a slip that may confirm Alito's pending resignation

On Tuesday morning, amidst the release of several consequential Supreme Court rulings, NPR ran a story stating that Justice Samuel Alito had just announced his retirement — but he hadn’t. The news outlet quickly retracted the story, issuing an apology. But according to one DC insider, this minor media incident may have in fact revealed Alito’s impending retirement, which would have major implications for the future of the court and country. “Given that the Speaker had a statement ready to go, and that Nina Totenberg is the dean of the SCOTUS press corps, who is a logical recipient of this big retirement story, this looks like an embargo broken to me,” posted Douglas Farrar, Former Director of Public Affairs at the Federal Trade Commission. “I expect we'll see Alito announce his retirement soon.”Farrar was referring to three key points. First, the retracted NPR story by Nina Totenberg. Second, the rumor that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had sent an email to staff and stakeholders with the subject “Thank you, Justice Alito.” And finally, the concept of a “media embargo,” in which a piece of news is shared with select media outlets with the understanding that it won’t be revealed until an agreed-upon time, allowing journalists to prepare their stories. As Farrar suggests, the NPR story and Johnson email could both be the result of a broken embargo, and Alito’s actual announcement is soon to come.If that is the case, it means two things. First, and less importantly, Totenberg and someone working in Johnson’s communications team have a lot of explaining to do, and they are unlikely to be trusted with scoops in the future. But more importantly, if Alito is in fact leaving, that means President Donald Trump will appoint his replacement — a move he would be eager to press with the midterms looming. If the Republican Party takes the losses that are projected and loses its majority, the Democrats will be significantly better positioned to oppose confirmation of his nominees. If Alito is indeed retiring, it would represent a strategic move on the part of conservatives, affording Trump the opportunity to select his fourth judge rather than leaving the possibility open to a Democratic successor were Alito to retire or die during a future term. This ensures that Republicans will shape the court for a generation and have a major impact on how the judiciary drives policy for decades to come. While this certainly represents a threat to the Democratic agenda, interestingly enough, rumors of Alito’s retirement came as the Supreme Court issued a consequential ruling in which three conservative justices — including two appointed by Trump — slapped down the president’s executive order attacking birthright citizenship.

Rubio privately admits Iran deal may not be 'likely' in tense closed-door meeting: report

A Republican congressman pushed back on Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the Trump administration's Iran agreement during a private House briefing Monday, and Rubio conceded the negotiations may go nowhere.Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) questioned why the U.S. would even attempt to deal with Tehran, according to a source on the call who relayed the exchange to reporter Mychael Schnell of MS NOW."I don’t understand the MOU from the standpoint of trying to come to an agreement with the country that has never been compliant with anything they’ve done in the past,” McCormick said, per the source. He added that lifting pre-war sanctions "just shows them that they're victorious," and said: "I just don't understand why we'd even consider dealing with these people in any sort of good-faith agreement."The briefing, led by Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, followed the 14-point memorandum of understanding Trump signed June 17 to halt the war, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and open a 60-day window for talks on sanctions and Iran's nuclear program.Rubio responded that Iran is already doing things it would never have done, and argued the U.S. should judge Tehran by its actions rather than its statements, per the source. He also lowered expectations."No one is here under any illusion that this is easy, or even likely, in some cases… There's a reason why this has been going on for 47 years, but we’re gonna give it an opportunity," Rubio said, per the source.McCormick's skepticism echoes the alarm that greeted the deal's sanctions concessions, and lands as the ceasefire frays, with U.S. forces striking Iran again last week.